With cutting-edge research in the fields of ENERGY, HEALTH and MATTER, around 1,500 employees from more than 70 nations at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) are committed to mastering the great challenges facing society today.

The Institute of Fluid Dynamics is conducting basic and applied research in the fields of thermo-fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics in order to improve the sustainability, the energy efficiency and the safety of industrial processes.

The Department of Thermal Energy and Process Technology is looking for a PhD Student (f/m/d) Dynamic Process Modelling and Value Chain Assessments for Sustainable Methanol from Renewable Energy. 

Your tasks

• Analysis and evaluation of various technologies for green methanol production with regard to efficiency, costs, and environmental impact
• Development of dynamic process models for electrified methanol processes under fluctuating power supply from renewable sources
• Simulation and optimization of the operating behavior of flexible systems, including control and operating strategies
• Creation of a technology and process database for selecting suitable production pathways and scenarios
• Techno-economic analyses of regional methanol production and supply chains in Europe and neighboring regions
• Contribution to the design and experimental validation of innovative reactor concepts (e.g., membrane reactors) for future demonstrations
• Scientific documentation and communication of results in the form of conference contributions and journal publications

Your profile

• Completed university studies (Master/Diploma) in the field of chemical engineering, process engineering, mechanical engineering, or a comparable and closely related field of study
• Knowledge of thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer phenomena, process engineering, and process technology
• Knowledge in process control theory (e.g., model predictive control, fuzzy control, etc.)
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills in an interdisciplinary and international research environment
• Motivation and self-discipline to carry out research independently
• Willingness to work on numerical and experimental tasks
• Programming skills (e.g., Matlab, SIMULINK, Python) or other common process simulators
• Excellent command of English (spoken and written)

Our offer

• A vibrant research community in an open, diverse and international work environment
• Scientific excellence and extensive professional networking opportunities
• A structured PhD program with a comprehensive range of continuing education and networking opportunities - more information about the PhD program at the HZDR can be found here
• Salary and social benefits in accordance with the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD-Bund) including 30 days of paid holiday leave, company pension scheme (VBL)
• We support a good work-life balance with the possibility of part-time employment, mobile working and flexible working hours
• Numerous company health management offerings
• Employee discounts with well-known providers via the platform Corporate Benefits
• An employer subsidy for the "Deutschland-Ticket Jobticket"

We look forward to receiving your application documents (including cover letter, CV, diplomas/transcripts, etc.), which you can submit via our online-application-system.